When is fractional the right bridge?
When you need senior GTM judgement and a running system now, but the full-time CMO brief is still evolving — stage, channel mix, or team shape is not stable enough for a £150k hire.
Hiring
Fractional CMO vs full-time CMO
Fractional fits when you need the system and cadence without locking in a permanent exec search. Full-time fits when the role is stable and you want a single owner for the next multi-year chapter.
When should you hire full-time?
When the constraint map is clear, the weekly cadence runs without the founder, and you want a permanent executive owning vendor strategy, hiring, and board narrative long term.
Can WSS help hire the full-time CMO?
Often yes — we help define the bar, interview for system-building ability, and hand over dashboards and decision rules so the hire starts with context.
Next step
Not sure which way to go?
Bring your numbers. In 20 minutes we'll tell you whether fractional, full-time, or neither is the right next hire.